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<h1>What's the meaning of "meaning"?</h1>

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<li><a href="#part1">The various uses of 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」</a></li>
<li><a href="#part2">Using 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 to define</a></li>
<li><a href="#part3">Using 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 to describe anything</a></li>
<li><a href="#part4">Rephrasing and making conclusions with 「と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」</a></li>
<li><a href="#part5">Using 「って」 or 「て」 for 「と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」</a></li>
<li><a href="#part6">Saying 「<span title="ゆう - to say" class="popup">ゆう</span>」 instead of 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」</a></li>
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<h2 id="part1">The various uses of 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」</h2>
In the previous lesson, we learned how to quote a subordinate clause by encasing it with 「と」. This allowed us to talk about things that people have said, heard, thought, and more. We also took a look at some examples sentences that used 「と」 and 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">言う</span>」 to describe how to say something in Japanese and even what to call oneself. In this section, we will learn that with 「と」, we can use
「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 in a similar fashion to define, describe, and generally just talk about the thing itself. We'll also see how to do the same thing with the casual 「って」 version we first learned about in the last lesson.

<h2 id="part2">Using 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 to define</h2>
In the last lesson, we briefly looked at how to introduce ourselves by using 「と」 and 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」. For instance, we had the following example, which Alice used to introduce herself.

<p>
（１）　<span title="わたし - me, myself, I" class="popup">私</span>はアリス<em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いいます</span></em>。<br />- I am called Alice. (lit: As for me, you say Alice.)
</p>

<p>
This sentence pattern is probably one of the first things beginner Japanese students learn in the classroom. In this case, the verb 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 doesn't mean that somebody actually said something. Rather, Alice is saying that people in general say "Alice" when referring to her. While using kanji for 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 is perfectly acceptable, in this case, since nothing is actually being said, using hiragana is also common.
</p>

<p>
This idea of describing what a person is known or referred to as can also be extended to objects and places. We can essentially define and identify anything we want by using 「という」 in this manner. As you can imagine, this is particularly useful for us because it allows us to ask what things are called in Japanese and for the definition of words we don't know yet.
</p>

<h3>Examples</h3>
<p>
（１）　<span title="これ - this" class="popup">これ</span>は、<em><span title="なん - what" class="popup">なん</span>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span><span title="さかな - fish" class="popup">魚</span></em>ですか。
<br />- What is this fish referred to as?.
</p>

<p>
（２）　<span title="この - this" class="popup">この</span><span title="さかな - fish" class="popup">魚</span>は、<em><span title="たい - Tai (fish)" class="popup">鯛</span>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いいます</span></em>。
<br />- This fish is known as "<i>Tai</i>".
</p>

<p>
（３）　<em>ルミネと<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span><span title="デパート - department store" class="popup">デパート</span></em>は<span title="どこ - where" class="popup">どこ</span>に<span title="ある - to exist (inanimate)" class="popup">ある</span>か、<span title="しる - to know" class="popup">知って</span><span title="いる - to exist (animate)" class="popup">います</span>か？
<br />- Do you know where the department store called "Lumine" is?
</p>

<p>
（４）　「<span title="ともだち - friend" class="popup">友達</span>」は、<span title="えいご - English" class="popup">英語</span>で<em>「friend」と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span></em><span title="いみ - meaning" class="popup">意味</span>です。
<br />- The meaning of "<i>tomodachi</i>" in English is "friend".
</p>

<h2 id="part3">Using 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 to describe anything</h2>
We learned how to use 「と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 to describe what something is known or referred to as. However, we can take this idea even further by attaching two subordinate clauses. At this point, 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 is so abstract that it doesn't even really have a meaning. When a subordinate clause is encapsulated with 「と」, you must have a verb to go along with it and 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 is simply being used as a generic verb to enable us to talk about any subordinate clause. This allows us to describe and explain just about anything ranging from a single word to complete sentences. As you can imagine, this construction is quite useful and employed quite often in Japanese.

<h3>Examples</h3>
<p>
（１）　<span title="しゅじんこう - main character" class="popup">主人公</span>が<span title="はんにん - criminal" class="popup">犯人</span>だった<em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span></em>のが<span title="いちばん - best; first" class="popup">一番</span><span title="おもしろい - interesting" class="popup">面白かった</span>。
<br />- The most interesting thing was that the main character was the criminal.
</p>

<p>
（２）　<span title="にほんじん - Japanese person" class="popup">日本人</span>は<span title="おさけ - alcohol" class="popup">お酒</span>に<span title="よわい - weak" class="popup">弱い</span><em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span></em>のは<span title="ほんとう - really" class="popup">本当</span>？
<br />- Is it true that Japanese people are weak to alcohol?
</p>

<p>
（３）　<span title="どくしん - single, unmarried" class="popup">独身</span>だ<em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span></em>のは、<span title="うそ - lie" class="popup">嘘</span>だったの？
<br />- It was a lie that you were single?
</p>

<p>
（４）　<span title="リブート - reboot" class="popup">リブート</span><em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span></em>のは、<span title="パソコン - computer" class="popup">パソコン</span>を<span title="さいきどう - reboot" class="popup">再起動</span><span title="する - to do" class="popup">する</span><em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span></em><span title="こと - event, matter" class="popup">こと</span>です。
<br />- Reboot means to restart your computer.
</p>

<p>
We can abstract it even further by replacing the subordinate clause with a generic way of doing something. In this case, we use 「<span title="こう - like this" class="popup">こう</span>」、「<span title="そう - like that" class="popup">そう</span>」、「<span title="ああ - like that" class="popup">ああ</span>」、and 「<span title="どう - how" class="popup">どう</span>」, which when combined with 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 means "this way, "that way", "that way (far away in an abstract sense)" and "what way" respectively.
</p>

<h3>Examples</h3>
<p>
（１）　<span title="あんた - you" class="popup">あんた</span>は、<span title="いつも - always" class="popup">いつも</span><em><span title="こう - like this" class="popup">こう</span><span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span></em><span title="とき - time" class="popup">時</span>に<span title="くる - to come" class="popup">来る</span>んだから、<span title="こまる - to be bothered, troubled" class="popup">困る</span>んだよ。
<br />- It's because you always come at times like these that I'm troubled.
</p>

<p>
（２）　<em><span title="そう - like that" class="popup">そう</span><span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span></em><span title="ひと - person" class="popup">人</span>と<span title="いっしょ - together" class="popup">一緒</span>に<span title="しごと - work" class="popup">仕事</span>を<span title="する - to do" class="popup">する</span>のは、<span title="いや - dislike" class="popup">嫌</span>だよね。
<br />- [Anybody would] dislike doing work together with that type of person, huh?
</p>

<p>
（３）　<em><span title="ああ - like that" class="popup">ああ</span><span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span></em><span title="ひと - person" class="popup">人</span>と<span title="けっこん - marriage" class="popup">結婚</span><span title="できる - to be able to do" class="popup">できた</span>ら、<span title="しあわせ - happiness" class="popup">幸せ</span>に<span title="なる - to become" class="popup">なれる</span>と<span title="おもう - to think" class="popup">思います</span>。
<br />- I think you can become happy if you could marry that type of person.
</p>

<p>
（４）　<span title="だいがく - college" class="popup">大学</span>に<span title="いく - to go" class="popup">行かない</span>って、<em><span title="どう - how" class="popup">どう</span><span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span></em><span title="いみ - meaning" class="popup">意味</span>なの？
<br />- What do you mean, "You're not going to go to college?"
</p>

<h2 id="part4">Rephrasing and making conclusions with 「と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」</h2>
We can attach the question marker 「か」 to 「と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 in order to add a questioning element. This construction is used when you want to rephrase or redefine something such as the following dialogue.

<h3>Example Dialogue</h3>
<p>
（Ａ）　みきちゃんは、<span title="あんた - you" class="popup">あんた</span>の<span title="かのじょ - she; girlfriend" class="popup">彼女</span>でしょう？
<br />- Miki-chan is your girlfriend, right?
</p>
<p>
（Ｂ）　う～ん、<span title="かのじょ - she; girlfriend" class="popup">彼女</span><em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>か</em>、<span title="ともだち - friend" class="popup">友達</span><em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>か</em>、<span title="なん - what" class="popup">なん</span><em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>か</em>・・・
<br />- Um, you might say girlfriend, or friend, or something…
</p>

This construction is used all the time, particularly in casual conversations. It can be used to correct something, come to a different conclusion, or even as an interjection.

<h3>Examples</h3>
<p>
（１）　<span title="おさけ - alcohol" class="popup">お酒</span>は<span title="すき - like, desirable" class="popup">好き</span><em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>か</em>、<span title="ある - to exist (inanimate)" class="popup">ない</span>と<span title="いきる - to live" class="popup">生きて</span><span title="いく - to go" class="popup">いけない</span>。
<br />- I like alcohol or rather, can't live on without it.
</p>

<p>
（２）　<span title="たぶん - maybe" class="popup">多分</span><span title="いく - to go" class="popup">行かない</span>と<span title="おもう - to think" class="popup">思う</span>。<em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>か</em>、<span title="おかね - money" class="popup">お金</span>が<span title="ある - to exist (inanimate)" class="popup">ない</span>から、<span title="いく - to go" class="popup">行けない</span>。
<br />- Don't think I'll go. Or rather, can't because there's no money.
</p>

<p>
（３）　<em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>か</em>、<span title="もう - already" class="popup">もう</span><span title="かえる - to go home" class="popup">帰らない</span>と<span title="だめ - no good" class="popup">だめ</span>ですけど。
<br />- Rather than that, I have to go home already.
</p>

Rather than using 「か」 to rephrase a conclusion, we can also simply use 「<span title="こと - event, matter" class="popup">こと</span>」 to sum up something without rephrasing anything.

<h3>Example Dialogue</h3>
<p>
（Ａ）　みきちゃんが<span title="ようすけ - Yousuke" class="popup">洋介</span>と<span title="わかれる - to separate" class="popup">別れた</span>んだって。
<br />- I heard that Miki-chan broke up with Yousuke.
</p>
<p>
（Ｂ）　<em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span><span title="こと - event, matter" class="popup">こと</span></em>は、みきちゃんは、<span title="いま - now" class="popup">今</span><span title="かれし - he; boyfriend" class="popup">彼氏</span>が<span title="いる - to exist (animate)" class="popup">いない</span><em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span><span title="こと - event, matter" class="popup">こと</span></em>？
<br />- Does that mean Miki-chan doesn't have a boyfriend now?
</p>
<p>
（Ａ）　<span title="そう - that's so" class="popup">そう</span>。<em><span title="そう - that way" class="popup">そう</span><span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span><span title="こと - event, matter" class="popup">こと</span></em>。
<br />- That's right. That's what it means.
</p>

<h2 id="part5">Using 「って」 or 「て」 for 「と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」</h2>
As mentioned in the previous lesson, 「って」 is very often used in causal slang in place of 「と」, because it allows us to leave out the rest of the sentence and assume context (or just plain assumption) will take care of the rest. We already saw that we can use  「って」 to replace 「と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 as well. However, since we just learned how to use 「と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 to do much more than just simply say something, there is a limit to just how much you can leave out. In any case, 「って」 will allow us to leave out not only 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」 but also any accompanying particles as you can see in the following example.

<h3>Examples</h3>
<p>
（１）　<span title="らいねん - next year" class="popup">来年</span><span title="りゅうがく - study abroad" class="popup">留学</span><span title="する - to do" class="popup">する</span><em>と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>のは</em>、<span title="ともこ - Tomoko" class="popup">智子</span>の<span title="こと - event, matter" class="popup">こと</span>？
<br />- The studying abroad next year thing, is that Tomoko?
</p>
<p>
（２）　<span title="らいねん - next year" class="popup">来年</span><span title="りゅうがく - study abroad" class="popup">留学</span><span title="する - to do" class="popup">する</span><em>って</em><span title="ともこ - Tomoko" class="popup">智子</span>の<span title="こと - event, matter" class="popup">こと</span>？
<br />- The studying abroad next year thing, is that Tomoko?
</p>

<p>「だって」 is also another phrase that leaves out just about everything. By convention, it is used to express disagreement or dissatisfaction usually to whine, complain, or to make an excuse but you can't tell what it means just from looking at it. It is an abbreviation of something along the lines of 「とは<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いって</span>も」 meaning, "even if that was the case".</p>

<h3>Example Dialogue 1</h3>
<p>
（A）　<span title="する - to do" class="popup">しない</span>と<span title="だめ - no good" class="popup">だめ</span>だよ。
<br />- Have to do it, you know.
</p>
<p>
（B）　<em>だって</em>、<span title="じかん - time" class="popup">時間</span>が<span title="ある - to exist (inanimate)" class="popup">ない</span>から<span title="できる - to be able to do" class="popup">できない</span>よ。
<br />- But (even so), can't do it because there is no time.
</p>

<h3>Example Dialogue 2</h3>
<p>
（A）　<span title="いく - to go" class="popup">行かなくて</span>も<span title="いい - good" class="popup">いい</span>よ。
<br />- Don't have to go, you know.
</p>
<p>
（B）　<em>だって</em>、<span title="みんな - everybody" class="popup">みんな</span><span title="いく - to go" class="popup">行く</span>って。<span title="わたし - me, myself, I" class="popup">私</span>も<span title="いく - to go" class="popup">行かない</span>と。
<br />- But (even so), everybody said they're going. I have to go too.
</p>

<p>
In some cases, the small 「つ」 is left out and just 「て」 is used instead of 「って」. This is done (as is usually the case for slang) in order to make things easier to say. In general, this is when there is nothing before the 「て」 or when the sound that comes before it doesn't require the explicit separation the 「っ」 gives us in order to be understood.
</p>

<h3>Examples</h3>

<p>
（１）　<em>て</em><span title="こと - event, matter" class="popup">こと</span>は、みきちゃんは、<span title="いま - now" class="popup">今</span><span title="かれし - he; boyfriend" class="popup">彼氏</span>が<span title="いる - to exist (animate)" class="popup">いない</span><em>て</em><span title="こと - event, matter" class="popup">こと</span>？
<br />- Does that mean Miki-chan doesn't have a boyfriend now?
</p>

<p>
（２）　<em>て</em><span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>か、<span title="もう - already" class="popup">もう</span><span title="かえる - to go home" class="popup">帰らない</span>と<span title="だめ - no good" class="popup">だめ</span>ですけど。
<br />- Rather than that, I have to go home already.
</p>

<p>
Since slang tends to be used in whichever way the person feels like, there are no definite rules defining whether you should use 「って」 or 「て」. However, 「て」 is generally not used to express what people have actually said or heard, which is why it wasn't covered in the last lesson.
</p>
<p>
（誤）　みきちゃんが、<span title="あした - tomorrow" class="popup">明日</span><span title="くる - to come" class="popup">こない</span><em><strike>て</strike></em>。
<br />- (Can't use 「て」 for something actually said)
</p>
<p>
（正）　みきちゃんが、<span title="あした - tomorrow" class="popup">明日</span><span title="くる - to come" class="popup">こない</span><em>って</em>。
<br />- Miki-chan says she isn't coming tomorrow.
</p>

<h2 id="part6">Saying 「<span title="ゆう - to say" class="popup">ゆう</span>」 instead of 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」</h2>
Because the 「と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」construction is used so often, there are a lot of different variations and slang based on it. While I do not plan on covering all of them here, you can check out <a href="casual.html#part5">Casual Patterns and Slang</a> in the miscellaneous section for yet even more slang derived from 「と<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」.

<p>The last thing I'm am going to briefly mention here is the use of 「<span title="ゆう - to say" class="popup">ゆう</span>」 instead of 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」. In conversations, it is quite normal to say 「<span title="ゆう - to say" class="popup">ゆう</span>」 instead of 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」. 「<span title="ゆう - to say" class="popup">ゆう</span>」 is easier to say because it is simply one letter with a long vowel sound instead of the two different vowel sounds of 「<span title="いう - to say" class="popup">いう</span>」.　</p>

<h3>Examples</h3>
<p>
（１）　て<em><span title="ゆう - to say" class="popup">ゆう</span></em>か、<span title="もう - already" class="popup">もう</span><span title="かえる - to go home" class="popup">帰らない</span>と<span title="だめ - no good" class="popup">だめ</span>ですけど。
<br />- Rather than that, I have to go home already.
</p>
<p>
（２）　<span title="そう - like that" class="popup">そう</span><em><span title="ゆう - to say" class="popup">ゆう</span></em><span title="こと - event, matter" class="popup">こと</span>じゃないって！
<br />- I said it's not like that (lit: it's not that type of thing)!
</p>


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<div class="small" style="text-align:right;"><pre>This page has last been revised on 2006/9/19</pre></div>

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